PLANS that could lead to the sell-off of one of the buildings at Park Mead Primary School in Cranleigh have sparked opposition from some parents.

However, their protests were this week described as premature as no decisions have yet been taken.

Faced with spare capacity, falling school rolls generally in the village and a £250,000 bill to refurbish Park Mead’s Key Stage 1 building – the former infant school – its governors have been considering the long-term future.

But a letter to parents keeping them informed of what was under consideration appears to have backfired, sparking complaints of lack of consultation.

One group has been circulating pro-forma letters for parents to send to the Department for Education and Science, objecting to its sanctioning of the sale. Another parent is planning to walk to Downing Street in protest.

But county councillor – and Park Mead governor – Dr Andrew Povey said discussions were at a preliminary stage. “I think the protest is a little premature.

“If we can have a better school by better use of our resources, that is for the good of the children and the community. I think the time for a proper debate will be when we have some proper proposals.”

Because the school cannot afford costs of refurbishing the Key Stage 1 building, the governors are looking at the possibility of selling this off, along with the hard-surfaced playground, to pay for a second-storey extension on the main Key Stage 2 – the former junior school.

The Key Stage 1 adventure playground would be relocated on land currently unused behind the separate unit for reception year children.

“Part of the problem is that we have too much space and only get funding for the classrooms we need,” explained chairman of governors, Janet Walden. Stressing that no decision had been taken, she said: “We need to get a clear sense of how much any extension will cost and how much we will get if we sell off the land.”

Improved security would be just one advantage of having all children in one building, say the governors, but Mrs Walden explained that the younger children would continue to be segregated from older pupils.

If there was enough money, they would like to add a sports hall to the main building.

The governors want parents to be aware of their thinking before a decision is taken.

“We are having preliminary plans and costings worked out, and some preliminary discussions with the local authority about use of the site,” said Mrs Walden.

Head teacher Andy Clark emphasised that any redevelopment would be rooted in sound educational practice and would benefit the children.

He said the school is responsible for building maintenance costs and that this is funded according to the number of children, not the size of accommodation. He added that there is a falling population at primary level and a commitment to reduce surplus places.

There is concern, however, among a number of parents who feel they haven’t been correctly informed of what is happening and believe they should have been consulted earlier.

Some are asking Mr Clark to attend a parents’ forum next week with a view to holding a formal public meeting about the proposals.

One parent, Justin Mansley, plans today (Friday) to gather signatures for a petition objecting to the selling of school land for maintenance and development before setting off from the school at 9am, on Monday, November 29 on a protest walk to 10 Downing Street.